Bottle stopper



' Aug. '12 1924.

A. Y. S. ALBUM BOTTLE STOPPEH Filed Sept. 11. 1922 .3 a i Hun I II "II" ||||||||u| INVENTOR.

7 Adel 672, YSAMMQ Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES ADOLPH S. ALBUM, OF MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS.

nor'riln srorrna.

Application filed September 11, 1922. Serial No. 587,490.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLPH Y. S. ALBUM,

a citizen of the United-States, residing at Maywood. in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bottle Stoppers, of which the following is a specificationQ The present invention relates to improvements in bottle stoppers, and is more particularly an improvement in the type of bottle stoppers or caps shown and described in my co-pending allowed application, Serial Number 563,473, where the caps have integral pull-tabs and are so constructed as to form a tight seal with the mouth of the bottle at the point adjacent the pull-tab.

The bottle caps, of the type above mentioned, are particularly adapted for milk bottles and are usually applied to the bottle by a capping machine which forces the cap in tight sealing engagement with the mouth of the bottle. Due to the character of stock or material from which these caps are made and their tight sealing engagement with the mouth of the bottle, as well as their construction, it is found that considerable resistance is oflered by the cap when removing the latter from the mouth of the bottle by drawing upon the pull-tab. This resistance causes the tab to tear or break off or to strip from the remaining portion of the cap, or the amount of force required to remove the cap often results in the contents of the bottle being split.

The object of this invention, therefore, is to overcome these drawbacks and to provide the cap with such means as will prevent the pull-tab from tearing or breaking off and to relieve to a considerable extent, the resistance offered when endeavoring to move the cap from the bottle, yet leaving the cap sufficient strength to offer requisite resistance, when in the mo'uth of the bottle, to tightly seal its contents and to prevent the cap from being moved or pressed out under the pres sure of the contents, if the bottle is accidently tilted or up-set.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the sundry detailed construction andarrangement of parts which will be ointed out in detail as the description of t e invention proceeds.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is disclosed in the form in which it is considered to be the best, but the invention is not limited to such form because it is capable of being embodied in other forms; and it is to be understood that in and by the claims following the description herein it is intended to cover the inventionin whatever form it may embody within the scope thereof.

In the drawings which disclose thepreferred embodiments of the invention as at present devised 2-- Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross section through the mouth of a milk bottle showing the cap inserted or applied thereto, the flexibility of the cap being illustrated in distinguished lines;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the cap formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 is a side or edge view of the cap shown in Figure 2; 1

Figure 4 is a side or edge view of a slightly modified form of a cap;

Figure 5 is a side or edge view of another modified form of a cap;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan View of a modified construction of a cap;

Figures 7 and 8 are other modified forms of the cap including the invention and showin an additional reinforcing means for the pu l-tab;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cap shown in Figure 7;

Figures 10 and 11 are other modified forms of the cap including the invention;

Figures 12 and 13 are side or edge views of the cap shown in Figures 10 and 11 respectively; and

Figures 14, 15 and 16 show fragmentary views of milk bottle caps having integral pull-tabs with modified forms of the invention thereon;

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary plan view of another form of the cap, scored in accordance with the invention.

In carrying my invention into practice a relatively thin flat plate like body 1 is employed which may be of any desired outline or shape and made of any suitable material such as wood pulp, strawboard or the like coated or otherwise impregnated with a 1wlgterproof material, such as paraflin or the The stopper or cap thus rovided is of suchdimensions as to tightly t in the mouth of a bottle with which it is used. In the form of the invention herein shown, the caps are illustrated as being a disk formation provided with an integral tab 2 extending outwardly from the peripheral edge of the cap, the tab being of any suitable shape or'formation. The tab is scored, notched or depressed to form a definite groove or incision 3 extending'in a direction substantially transversely of the tab at a point to one side of the line a formin a continuation of the peripheral edge of t e cap. The

construction thus far recited is covered by my co-pending application, above referred to, and forms no part of the present invention except byway of combination therewith.

The present invention resides in scoring, notching, grooving or depressing the cap along the line 4 at a point adjacent the tab 2, but within the peripheral edge of the cap body, the scoring, notching or grooving 4 forming a chord of the cap body. The purpose of so grooving or notching the cap, as at 4, and adjacent the pull-tab 2 is to weaken the cap at this point only sufliciently to permit it to slightly yield or flex under the pulling or drawin strain, when the cap is eing removed. T is scoring or grooving 4 should not be such as would permit the portion b to hinge or bend on the remaining portion of the ca body, because in such case, the cap woul not possess the re uisite rigidity to retain the contents in the ottle, when the latter is tilted or up-set. By scoring or grooving the cap, as at 4, in accordance w1th the present invention, when the pull-tab is drawn or raised, as indicated by dotted lines inFigure 1, the portion b first takes up the strain and is slightly flexed with respect to the remaining or major body portion 0 of the cap. This permits the edges d of the portion 6 to raise and release itself from frictional engagement with the wall w of the usualrabbet in the neck bottle. Thearea or extent of the edges d is relatively small, and when sufficiently released from frictional contact with thwall w, the resistance offered by the remaining peripheral edge of the cap contacting with the wall to is relieved to a great extent, thus permitting the cap to "be withdrawn with minimum of, force and reducing the liability of the tab being torn off and eliminating the jerk necessary to remove the cap.

With a cap so constructed, the pull-tabs will not break or tear off when the caps are made of chea material or stock, thus permitting pull-ta bed caps to be produced more economically. The scoring 4 may be provided on the same face of the cap with the scoring 3, but as shown in Figure 4, can also be provided with equal advantage on the opposite face, as at 4. In Figure 5 a cap similar to one in Figures 2 and 3, is shown, but with an additional scoring 4* on its underface.

, It is to be understood that it is of no concern or importance, so far as this invention is concerned, upon which face of the cap the scoring 3, 4, 4, and 4 may be provided. They can be provided all on the same face of the cap or on opposite faces or alternatively arranged. In Figure 6, the scoring is shown at 4 as being arcuate, because it is immaterial whether the scoring is on a straight, arcuate or zig-zag line so long as the cap is weakened or scored at the points indicated.

Figure 7 shows a cap having an integral pull-tab 2 provided with the scoring 3, and also having a piece of fabric, such as cheese cloth, muslin, or the like, pressed or stamped into one face of the cap and lying flushed therewith. This piece of fabric forms a reinforcement 5, which has a fanned or flared end :2 extending beyond the peripheral edge of the cap and attached to the body portion thereof so that the pull tab is reinforced from tearing or breaking oil. The reinforcing member 5 is. preferably. provided on the bottom or undersurface of the cap, but it is within the purview of the invention to apply the same to the top or upper face of the cap. In this form of the invention, the scoring or depressing, which corresponds to the scoring l in the above embodiments, is provided at 6 and accomplishes the same results aimed at in the above embodiments.

In Figure 8 substantially the same construction is shown as in Figure 7. except that the portion a thereof is of greater area than the portion on of the member 5 in Figure 7. The body of the cap is weakened at 6*, corresponding to the scoring 4 in Figures 1 and 2.

In Figure 10 the tab 2 is scored with two aligned and transversely extending depressions 7 and the body of the cap is scored with the two aligned and substantially transverse depressions or incisions 8 by which the same results are accomplished as in Figures 1 and 2. The scores 8 have extending there- ,between at right angles thereto the depression or incision 9, which permits an additional flexibility in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of the scoring or incision 8.

In Figure 11, the scoring of the cap which corresponds to the scoring 4 in Figures 1 and 2, has its end portions extending at obtuse angles relatively thereto and continued to the peripheral edge of the cap.

In Figure 14, substantially the same scoring is shown as in Figure 10, except that the body of the cap is scored on its face opposite to the scoring on the tab 2.

Figures 15 and 16 show other forms for scoring the body of the cap.

Throughout the specification and claims, the words scoring, grooving, depressing,

'notching and incisions are used Without distinction, and refer to any means by which the cap may be weakened at the points indicated. While I have shown various forms and manners for weakening the cap at the points desired, it is to be understood that any other form, style or manner of weakening the cap at these points is within the purview and scope of this invention, provided such weakening'does not produce a hinging effect between the-portions of the cap.

In Fig. 17 is shown the form of cap, where the pull tab is struck out of the body of the cap, and which is scored as at 4, to weaken the resistance of the stock of the cap, in order that it will function and have the same effect and result as the scoring 4 in Fig. 1.

Having thus described the invention, what I desire Letters Patent upon, is 2- 1. The combination of a bottle cap having a pull-tab secured thereto, said cap being weakened on a line extending in approximately a transverse direction relative to the pull-tab, said tab being weakened transversely at a point spaced from the periphery of the cap said line of weakening being adjacent the point of connection between the pull-tab and the body of the cap and permitting flexure of the cap without hingmg.

2. The combination of a bottle cap comprising a flat disk body having a pull-tab integral therewith at the periphery thereof, said pull-tab being scored transversely at a point to one side of the peripheral edge of the cap, the body portion of said cap being scored at a point adjacent the ull-tab and within the confines of said b0 y and in a direction approximately transversely relative to the pull-tab, said scoring permitting fiexture of the body portion of the cap when the pull-tab is drawn without causing ahinging between the portions of the cap.

3. A bottle cap comprising a disk like body having an integral outwardly extending pull-tab at its periphery, a strip of flexible reinforcing material applied to one face of the tab-and extending for a distance on the face of the body of the cap, said reinforcing strip being pressed. into the face of the cap to lie flushed therewith, and adhesive means for maintaining said strip in position.

4. A bottle cap comprising a disk like body having an integral outwardly extending pull-tab at its periphery, a strip of flexible material applied to one face of the tab and extending for a distance on the face of the body of the cap to reinforce the connection between said tab and cap, and adhesive means for maintainig said strip in position.

5. A bottle cap as set forth in claim 3, further characterized by the tab beiu weakened transversely at a point spaced from the periphery of the cap the end of said strip on the body of the cap being of considerable width, whereby the depression formed in the cap as said edge of the strip, provides a weakening scoring permitting the flexure of the cap, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. Abottle cap having a pull tab connected thereto, the body portion of the cap being weakened independent of any weakening which may result from the presence of the tab structure adjacent its point of connection with the cap, said line of weakening permitting flexure of the cap without hinging, when a pulling strain is exerted upon the pull tab.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ADOLPH Y. s. ALBUM. 

